Tiger, Don’t Worry!
by Daishu Ma; illus. by the author
Primary    Post Wave    40 pp.
5/25    9798895090077    $18.99

Young Mei and family live in a tea-growing village. One day, Mei and a tiger wander into the tea fields, simply looking for fun. But Tiger’s big paws and careless exuberance lead to a string of accidents: broken tools, spilled tea leaves, and chaos in the tea-making process. Worried about getting into trouble, Mei and Tiger decide to run away. “We pounce across the river…Whoosh! / leap across the railway bridge / Whee! and bound up the hill. / Whizz!” until they can’t see their village anymore. When hunger sets in, Mei convinces Tiger that they should return home together and face the consequences. “‘Don’t worry,’ I say. ‘It will be alright. You’ll see!’” And it is. After Mei apologizes for their mistakes, the family welcomes them back not with anger but rather with patience and kindness, teaching them how to make tea the right way. Ma’s gently humorous storytelling maintains a childlike voice and perspective; the text is beautifully enhanced by arresting color-saturated illustrations with an invitingly naive quality. Full-bleed spreads and bright images on white backgrounds add variety to the pages and bring the rural setting and playful main characters to life. This tender story offers a reminder that mistakes don’t have to lead to punishment—when met with honesty, they are opportunities for love, learning, and connection.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.